The Effects of the Fan
by gatewatcher
Summary: Someone is stalking Brennan. Will Booth be able to keep her safe? What will the effects be from his attempt?


This story will be AU. Some events will be canon, while others will not. Booth and Brennan have growing feelings for each other, but have not given in nor expressed them to each other as of yet. In my mind, this happens somewhere in Season 5 after Booth admits to Cam that he is in love with Brennan, but couldn't admit it to her. However, "The Parts in the Sum of the Whole" (episode 100) did not happen.

There are 12 chapters, but I decided to post in one piece. All errors are mine. I hope you enjoy 😊

Of course, I do not own any part of "Bones". It belongs to Hart Hanson… I am just playing with them again. … promise to put them all away nicely when I am done.

Gatewatcher

 **The Effects of the Fan**

 _Prologue_

It was a warm evening. Sitting in a quiet room with a lone light, an open window, and a rickety ceiling fan, he sorted through the day's pictures. One was of her sitting at the diner sipping on soup while she read a magazine. Another was her entering her car in the parking garage of her apartment building. Still a third was of her running in the park. Smiling, he added the newest snapshots to the layout on his wall. Admiring his work, he studied all the places she frequented and those she was with. He lauded himself that he had the ability to follow her and snap photographs with no notice from her nor that ever-present FBI agent that dogged her every step.

"Don't worry, darling Temperance. We will be together soon…. "he purred as he stroked one of the

photos. "You will hear from me very soon."

 _Chapter 1_

Monday morning, Temperance Brennan breezed into the Jeffersonian, tossed her bag on her desk and donned her blue lab coat. It was still early; the rest of the team had not arrived yet. As per her usual routine, Bren had awakened early, went for a quick run in the park, returned home to shower and drove into work. She began her day down in "limbo" and worked for several hours trying to identify the remains who had been "lost" to their families. She prided herself on those occasions where she could return those lost remains to the loved ones who needed closure.

Shortly before one o'clock, she felt more than heard the presence of another person. Looking up from her work, she eyed Booth standing in the doorway, leaning with his arms folded.

"Hello, Booth." (Silently _she thought to herself…. he is so handsome… and I get to work with him every day.)_ However, she would never admit that out loud to anyone.

"Hey, ya, Bones. I came to see if you'd had lunch yet." (He was fully aware that she had not.)

"Is it lunchtime already?"

"Wanta head to the diner?"

"Let me just replace this box and I'll be ready in a moment."

As the pair headed for her office, Booth said something that made Brennan chuckle quietly. She started to reply back to him when they arrived at her office and she noticed a bouquet of fresh flowers that had been placed on the corner of her desk.

"Where did these come from?" she inquired. Looking for a card, she found none.

Looking up at her partner, she asked, "Booth, do you know anything about these?"

"Nope. Got a new boyfriend?", he teased plastering on an artificial smile. (Please _say no._ )

"No. I'll ask Cam if she has any idea."

Stopping by Cam's office on their way out, she asked her boss if she was aware from where the flowers came.

"No, no I don't. I didn't see a delivery person come through at all."

"Perhaps they were delivered to the wrong place. I'll ask Hodgins if they were for Angela when we return from the diner."

Forgetting about the flowers for the time being, the pair continued with their walk to the diner falling into a comfortable conversation. Throughout the meal, neither one noticed the stranger across the street sitting quietly in his car taking snapshots of them.

When they returned to the lab, a security guard stopped them to hand an envelope to Brennan.

"Dr. Brennan, a courier delivered this for you while you were out."

"Thank you", she said as she accepted the manila envelope.

When they reached her office, she took off her coat and opened the package. Booth noticed the scrutinizing look she gave the sheet she pulled out.

"What's that, Bones?"

Handing it to Booth, he looked at it and then to her. He was holding a letter to her made with cut out letters of different colors and sizes. It said:

 _Dearest Temperance,_

 _I hope you appreciate the bouquet I sent. I saw them in the store and although they do not compare to your beauty, thought you would enjoy their loveliness._

 _Your biggest fan._

Booth glanced at her as she sent to work behind her desk. "Bones…."

"I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably nothing but an overzealous fan trying to get my attention."

"Have you gotten others?"

"Normally most mail I receive goes through my publisher and I rarely see any of it. Some fan must be very clever being able to bypass that and have it actually reach me."

"Bones, this is kind of creepy. Doesn't it bother you?"

"I'm sure it's harmless. I have work to do."

"All right. I'll see you later."

With that, the handsome agent left for the Hoover.

 _Chapter 2_

At the end of the week, there was still no case to work. Brennan began Saturday morning with a run through the park. Afterwards, she stopped at a farmer's market for some groceries and headed home. It was a beautiful day, so she decided to read while sitting at the pool. As she sat in the lounge chair reading the latest anthropology journal, she suddenly observed a shadow cast over her.

"Hello. May I assist you?" she asked as she looked up.

"Hello. I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude, but I am new here. I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find towels."

She replied as she pointed, "Over on the other side of the pool towards the corner by the tennis courts; you will find a white cabinet that is to be stocked with towels. I have found, however, that is often empty and it is best to provide one yourself."

"Thank you. By the way, I'm Richard. Richard Walker."

"Well, Mr. Walker, I hope you will like it here", and she returned her attention to the journal.

"I didn't catch your name", he smiled.

"Oh. I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"No…. the best-selling author?!"

"Yes. I am the author." At this point, Brennan was losing interest in the conversation and just wanted to be left alone.

"Well…. that just makes me the luckiest man today!"

"Why is that, Mr. Walker?"

"Call me Richard…. because I love your books!"

"Thank you."

The man started to speak again, but at that moment, Bren was saved by the bell, so to speak. Excusing herself, she picked up her phone and spoke, "Brennan. Parker! Hello! You'd like to come swimming? Of course. Tell your dad to pack your things and come on over" she said smiling. "What? You're already in the parking lot?!" Laughing, she proclaimed, "Yes. Come on. I'll meet you at the gate."

After hanging up, she looked up again at Richard and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have guests coming in."

"Of course. Perhaps we will bump into each other again some time."

Trying to be gracious, she just smiled.

About that time, she heard, "Dr. Bones, Dr. Bones…" and suddenly found herself in a small bear hug.

"Thanks, Bones", greeted Booth as he sat down in a chair near hers. "He really wanted to see you today and you know how persuasive he can be" he grinned.

"I love seeing Parker. I am glad you acquiesced to his request."

As the threesome played in the water and laughed the afternoon away, none of them noticed the glares they were receiving from behind a pair of dark sunglasses from the other side of the pool. The whole time he was watching, he was thinking of a way to either get the genius doctor alone, or a way to keep her partner away from her. "He needs to go…." he muttered under his breath.

 _Chapter 3_

The following week was a quick one. The team worked a fairly easy case. Bones had been discovered in a shallow grave, but the victim had managed to scratch the killer. It was a cut and dry case that was solved and they were ready to celebrate. After a having a few drinks at the Founding Fathers, Booth went to pick up Parker and Cam Sweets, and Hodgins all headed for home. Angela wasn't quite ready to stop for the night and asked Brennan to come to a bar around the corner where there was music and dancing.

"I don't dance, Ang."

"We don't have to dance. Let's just to listen to some good music and have a couple of drinks. Please. "

"Okay. But only one drink."

"Deal."

The two walked around the corner and into the bar. It was a loud, busy place. However, Brennan had to agree that the music was great. She and Angela ordered at the bar and then found a table and sat down with their drinks. Brennan found the place interesting in an anthropological way as she simply sat and observed the couples, the dancing, and the groups of friends. She and Angela laughed and drank and enjoyed each other's company.

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Angela looked up to see a man standing in front of their table.

"Well, hello", she cooed.

Ignoring Angela, the man said, "Hello, Temperance."

Looking up, Brennan saw the man she had met at the pool. "Hello."

"It's nice to see you again. It seems we have the same taste in entertainment. Would you care to dance?"

"Thank you for the offer, but we were just leaving."

"Oh, come on…. just one dance. It would help me feel more welcome in my new hometown."

"No, I am sorry. I really don't dance, and like I said. We were just leaving."

Reaching out to grab her arm, he tried to pull her onto the dance floor. "I'm sure your friend will wait for one dance, won't you?" he smiled glancing at Angela.

"Standing her ground, she pulled her arm back and stated, "Mr. Walker, I did say I did not wish to dance."

Realizing he didn't want to make a scene, he apologized and said, "Perhaps another time."

Glaring at the man, Brennan stated, "I would not count on it" as she grabbed her purse and she and Angela exited the bar and grabbed a cab to share.

"Who was that?" asked Angela.

"He came up to me at the pool the other day and introduced himself, said he was new in town."

"He's a little pushy."

"I suppose."

The cab ride was short to Angela's and then Brennan continued on to her apartment. She paid the cabbie and walked into her building. For the third time, she did not notice the silent eyes watching her every move.

 _Chapter 4_

Early Sunday morning, Brennan's phone rang. She reached over to answer it only to hear a dial-tone.

She hung up and rolled back over to return to sleep. An hour later, her phone rang, and again, she heard nothing but a dial-tone. She decided to go ahead and rise for the day. She stretched and showered and then went to make coffee. While she was dressing, there was a knock on the door. She finished buttoning her blouse and looked through the peephole. There was no one there. She opened the door and glanced down the hallway. Again, nothing.

Closing the door, she padded into the kitchen to pour her coffee. Chirping to life, her phone rang a third time. She checked caller ID and answered "Brennan".

"Morning, Bones. We have a case. Are you up? I'll be by to pick you up in fifteen."

"I'll be ready."

Pouring two cups of coffee and putting on her shoes, she walked outside to wait for Booth to pull up.

Later in the day, they returned to Brennan's apartment. Both were soaked through from the pop-up storm they encountered while recovering the body that had been discovered. Entering the apartment, Brennan walked into the bathroom to grab two towels. While she was gone, Booth took off his coat and hung it up on the hook by the front door. Brennan handed him a towel and told him she would run into the bedroom to get his spare clothes from her closet.

"Booth!" she yelled from her room.

"Yeah?"

"Would you please come in here?"

"Can't you find my stuff?" he asked entering her room. When he stepped into the room, he looked at the shocked expression on his partner's face. "What's the…" Then he stopped in his tracks.

He stepped closer and then looked at her mirror and the wall behind her bed. In red paint was printed "One day …. You will be mine".

When he continued to look around, he saw a red nighty spread out across one side of her bed and an array of pictures that depicted her in various places over the last few weeks.

"Bones, any idea who did this?" he asked looking at her. "This is …. "

"I suppose it could be…. There was this new man at the pool the other day before Parker called. He told me he liked my books. Then Friday night after everyone left the Founding Fathers, Ang and I walked around the corner to another bar to listen to the music. He was there and asked me to dance. I turned him down and he tried to pull me to the dance floor. I refused…."

"Anything else happen?"

"Not that night. But this morning, my phone rang two different times and there was no one there and someone knocked on my door and there was no one there either."

"Let's call in a crime lab and see if we can get any prints off any of this." Booth pulled out his phone and walked around looking for any other signs that a stranger had been in his partner's home.

When he hung up, he informed her that they were on their way. "While we wait, why don't you pack a bag?"

"What? Why?"

"I don't want you staying here tonight. You can come to my place until we figure this out."

"Booth…I …."

"Don't argue, Bones. He could be watching and come back after everyone is gone. I'd feel better knowing you weren't here."

Sighing, she agreed.

 _Chapter 5_

Two days later, there was still no word about who had broken into Brennan's apartment. Booth had checked out this new Richard Walker and discovered that he had not rented an apartment in Brennan's complex. The investigation also found out that Richard Walker did not exist. No fingerprints were left in her apartment either. It seemed that this man was a ghost.

Brennan had spent two nights at Booth's apartment, at his insistence, but she was ready to go back to her own place.

"Bones, we need to catch this guy."

"I know, Booth, but I can't stay at your place forever."

In the middle of their discussion, Booth's phone rang.

"Booth. Where? Got it…. on our way." Turning to Brennan, he added, "Come on. We have a crime scene." And with that, they ended the conversation and headed for his SUV.

When they arrived at the scene, it was dark. Oddly, there was no one else around: no police cars, no crime lab, and nothing to indicate there had been a murder. Booth grabbed his phone and made a call to determine if he had a wrong address. "What? You've gotta be kiddin' me! Okay."

"There was no murder and there is no crime scene. Someone sent us on wild goose chase."

"I do not see any geese, Booth."

Shaking his head and moving toward the truck, he said, "Come on. Let's get out…", but he didn't get to finish his thought because in the darkness, a shot rang out.

"Hit the deck, Bones", he shouted as he pulled his weapon out of its holster.

A few minutes later, he heard a vehicle engine start and then drive away quickly from the other side of the property.

Hurrying over to where she lay, he asked, "Bones. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I am fine. How about you?"

"Yeah…."

Reaching over to grab his arm to push herself up, she felt something sticky at the same time he hissed.

"Booth! You've been shot!"

"I'm okay, Bones. It's not serious. Either he's a bad shot or didn't account for me moving when he pulled the trigger. Can you get a gym towel from the back of the truck? I'll wrap this up and if you'll drive, we can head out."

"Of course. Hang on a minute."

After wrapping his wound, she loaded him into the truck and got behind the wheel, heading off to the nearest hospital.

Hours later, Brennan drove the sedated agent back to his apartment. His left arm was in a sling and he was so ready to drop into his bed. Walking into the darkened room, Brennan flipped the light switch and Booth followed her in and headed for the sofa. She turned to close the door and found an envelope on the floor. After locking the door, she bent down to pick it up.

"What's that", inquired Booth.

"I don't know. It was on the floor."

She handed the item to Booth and he opened it up revealing a folded piece of paper. Typed out in capital letters, the note stated:

 _YOU CANNOT KEEP HER AWAY FROM ME FOREVER, AGENT BOOTH. TONIGHT WAS A WARNING SHOT. STAY AWAY FROM HER OR THE NEXT ONE WILL ENTER YOUR HEART._

 _Chapter 6_

Although they were exhausted, Booth called for a crime unit for the second time in a week. As suspected, nothing was found. Nothing was left behind. By the time the unit left, neither Booth nor Brennan could keep their eyes open. Booth stepped into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When he stepped back into the living room, Brennan was curled up on his sofa sleeping soundly. Slipping silently into the adjacent chair, he took the time to simply watch his slumbering partner. _She is so beautiful_ , he thought to himself. He wanted to reach out and touch her face, but he didn't dare. He had no idea how she would react to it nor what he would do if she was aware. So, instead, he grabbed the duvet on the back of the sofa and covered her body and went to bed.

As he lay in bed, he began to ponder what was going on. Someone was stalking his Bones. That someone shot him and has now threatened to kill him if he doesn't leave her alone. There was no way he was going to leave her unprotected. Coming up with a plan, he was sure she wasn't going to like it, but he was determined to make her accept it. With that thought, he finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Brennan awoke and stretched out her legs. Opening her eyes, she smiled when a cup of hot tea appeared on the coffee table in front of her.

"Morning, sunshine."

"Morning", she mumbled sleepily.

"Sleep well?"

"Mmmm…"

She sat up and reached for the tea. "Thank you."

"How about you grab a shower and I make breakfast?" he suggested.

Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting at the table munching on pancakes. "These are delicious, Booth?"

"Thanks. Pancakes were the first thing Pops taught me to cook; smiling, he said with an animated voice, "… _a man has to know how to cook so he doesn't starve. Can't expect a woman to be around all the time to feed you_."

Brennan laughed and took another bite.

"Listen, Bones…. I have an idea."

"An idea concerning what?"

"This stalker has struck three times: once in your apartment, once last night at a bogus crime scene, and again here; not to mention the flowers at your office. He knows an awful lot about you …. and me for that matter."

"I know. I am so sorry you got hurt. I will understand if you want to stop the partnership."

"What?! No! That's not what I want. That's not my idea."

"Well, then. What is your idea?"

"I think we need to disappear for a while. We give the squints and the FBI investigators time to work this and we take you out of the middle and out of danger."

"What? No! I need to keep working. I can work on this…."  
"Hear me out, Bones. Whoever this is… is following you around, taking pictures, and firing at us. We can't find this guy who you met at the pool. We have no idea who he is. Let your team and the FBI continue the case and we go into hiding. I know you have to have time saved up that you can take. I'm pretty sure since I was threatened with you, I can talk the FBI into giving me the time to watch over you."

Sighing, she inquired, "Where would we go?"

"You leave that to me. I have a place in mind."

"I really do not like leaving."

"I know, but look at it this way…. if you and Angela were out and this guy decided to try something and Angela got hurt…."

"That's not fair."

"I know. Sorry. But, I can't be with you one-hundred percent of the time here in the city. If we leave, it's just us and I can be there at all times and know where you are; and I know a place that's pretty private; I can protect us both there."

Brennan took a few minutes to ponder the situation. She took a final bite of her breakfast, sighed, and then looking into Booth's eyes, nodded. "Okay."

 _Chapter 7_

That evening, after making the arrangements and getting the appropriate permissions, Booth drove from the Hoover to the Jeffersonian and made sure to park in the underground garage. He made it a point to arrive while it was still somewhat light outside in case anyone was watching so he was seen arriving.

Phase 1 of the plan was to have a look-alike couple drive out of the garage in Booth's SUV with the cover of darkness to shadow their features. Hopefully, if anyone was tailing them, they would take the bait. Phase 2 was then to have Booth dress in disguise and drive out the opposite way he usually drives with Brennan hunkered down in the back seat. Angela had gone shopping earlier in the day and brought clothes and some supplies for Brennan. Booth had a bag in the back of his SUV that he always kept for emergencies that was transferred to the car by one of the security guards while Booth was in Brennan's office. The only person who knew exactly where they were headed was Pops; Hank would only be contacted in case of emergency and if the stranger from the pool was apprehended.

Driving in an older model pick-up truck, the couple drove all night outside the city, outside the D.C. area, and across state lines. Booth was careful to keep an eye out to make sure they had not been tailed. He didn't allow Brennan to rise until he was sure they were outside city limits and no one had followed. Being exhausted, she chose to use the time to catch up on her sleep while Booth just drove. Booth stopped on a country road about three hours after taking off to refuel with the gas can that had been in the bed of the truck. He hadn't wanted to take any chances of stopping at a gas station too close to D.C.

About 4:00 A.M., with no one else on the road near them, he found a truck stop and woke Brennan up.

"Hey, Bones. Wake up. I have to stop and walk around for a bit and grab some coffee. I think it's safe for you to get out here." Popping up from the back seat, Booth couldn't help but smile at the long blonde hair that hung across her face.

"Where are we?"

"We're about two hours into Pennsylvania."

"Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

With a tired smile, he shook his head. "Not yet."

"Booth", she whined. "Do you not trust me? It's just you and me… who could I tell? You made me leave my cell phone and my laptop at home."

"Of course, I trust you…. I want you to be surprised. I want to see the look on your face that's all. Another few hours and we'll be there. Let me fill up the tank and we can go to the restroom and grab some coffee and something to eat if you need."

Agreeing, she got out of the car and stretched while he got gas and filled up the gas can. After grabbing the coffee and some fruit, they got back into the truck and headed north.

 _Chapter 8_

When they arrived at the little town, the sun had risen and it was a beautiful day. Booth pulled into a small lot. Bren could see that it was a small supply store, not large enough to be a grocery, but it appeared to have staples. It was cooler than it had been in D.C. Both climbed out of the vehicle and stretched.

Booth called over to her, "Come on…we'll grab supplies and we're almost there."

"Where are we exactly?"

"A little fishing town near Lake Erie at the top of Pennsylvania. Pops used to bring us here for vacations when I was younger. He'd rent a cabin on the lake and we'd fish all day and fry what we caught for dinner. After Gram passed, we didn't come as often. We always had a great time", he smiled.

"Sounds wonderful."

The store was quaint, like those you see on old television shows. It provided the basics: sugar, flour, eggs, bread, coffee, tea, and a small meat counter. They purchased their supplies and got back into the car. Fifteen minutes later, Booth turned down a long dirt road that was not wide enough to accommodate two vehicles simultaneously. It was not extremely rough, but it was a bit bumpier than she was used to. After traveling about a quarter of a mile, they came around a curve and the cabin came into view. It was a rustic log cabin with a large wrap-around porch. There was a porch swing, rocking chairs, potted plants around the front entrance, and a large stone fireplace reaching up from the rear of the place. On the left was a small lake and all around them was woods.

"Booth…...! This is beautiful. It's almost like stepping back in time."

"I always loved our time up here. It's quiet, peaceful; we can hike, fish, there's no sounds of the city…. At night, you can hear the crickets and the hooting of owls, and see the stars…."

Brennan watched Booth as he was talking; although his body was there and she could hear him clearly, she could tell that his mind was somewhere back in his childhood. Appreciating his old memories, she found herself slightly envious of them. Turning from him, she meandered over towards the lake. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sounds of nature and felt the breeze on her skin.

She felt him more than heard him approach from behind. "There are poles and other fly-fishing supplies inside so we can catch our dinner."

"I don't know how to fish for flies…", she admitted, "… nor do I believe I want to."

Laughing, Booth stated, "We won't be fishing for flies, Bones. Fly-fishing is a way to fish."

"Well, I don't know how to do that either."

Using his best charm smile, Booth assured her, "Don't worry, Bones. I'll teach you. Come on, let's get our groceries in and turn on the generator."

Once inside, Booth started the generator while Brennan put items in cabinets and went back out to grab their bags. She found Booth working on starting a fire in the fireplace when she returned.

"It's going to get cold later, thought I'd better get this going."

"Where should I put the bags?" she inquired.

"There are two rooms over there", he said pointing to the left. "You can choose whichever one you want. Leave the bags and I'll get them in a minute."

Bren took the opportunity to look around inside. She examined both bedrooms; each was roomy and decorated nicely with a woodsy theme. Each had a queen-sized bed, a dresser, and a large bay window facing the forest. The one bath was not large, but did have an oversized, lovely, old fashioned claw tub. She couldn't wait to be able to take a relaxing hot bath later.

She wandered back into the living room where Booth had started the fire. To the right was a spacious kitchen area with a wooden dining room table that seated up to 6. The bar area separated the two rooms.

"This is quite nice, Booth", she stated. "It feels very homey. I can see why you enjoyed spending time here."

"Yeah. Thanks. Gram and Pops made it fun, ya know?"

"What now?"

"Well, we could take a short hike and then come back to make some dinner, if that sounds all right with you.?"

"Sure... just let me change into some different shoes."

 _Chapter 9_

Following their hike, the pair returned to the cabin. Bren had a better idea of the layout of the surroundings and felt more comfortable in the environment. While they walked, Booth had talked about his childhood escapades with Jared during their vacations and Brennan thoroughly enjoyed listening to his musings: the games of tag in the dark, the mushroom hunting, the campfires and marshmallow roasts. She had really liked Hank from the moment she had met him, but she appreciated him so much more for all that he had done for Booth in the absence of his parents. She thought to herself how lucky Booth had been to have had grandparents and felt a bit of envy that she had no one like them to rescue her from her "childhood". How she wished she could have had such experiences. But, she decided that she was glad that at least one of them had been saved.

By the time they got back, it was starting to get dark and they were both getting hungry. Booth threw together a dinner of vegetable omelets and hot bread.

As they ate, he said, "Tomorrow morning, I'll show you how to fly-fish and we'll catch our dinner. You haven't had fish as good as when you catch your own and then fry it up in Gram's iron skillet."

"OK. Sounds like it could be fun. I am sure I will be excellent at catching fish. I have a very high learning curve, you know."

Laughing, Booth said, "Well, you may have a high curve for learning, but that doesn't make the fish bite."

The kitchen area now cleaned, Brennan decided she would like to get ready for bed. Booth had placed her bags in the room to the right. She opened her duffle to grab her toiletries and headed to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and returned to sit in the living area. Booth decided he would also shower. After he grabbed his things, he stood in the doorway of his room quietly for a moment and stole glances at Brennan as she sat near the fire toweling the wetness from her hair. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She didn't know he was watching and she stood to begin some yoga stretches. Booth marveled at the way her body moved. When she bent her body in half to stretch her legs and her back side was facing him, he felt his own body reacting and his mind began to think about how he would love to sneak up behind her and…. shaking his head, he stepped back into his room and gathered himself.

Stepping out, he headed towards the bathroom and yelled out, "Hey, Bones, I'm gonna hit the shower. I'll be out in a bit."

Without looking back, she answered, "All right."

When he had finished, he joined her on the couch and together they enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the simplicity of being in each other's company.

It wasn't long and Booth was drifting off to sleep. Brennan shook him and noted, "Booth, sleeping here will not benefit your back. Why don't we get up and head off to bed?"

Agreeing, he rose and turned off the lights. Heading off to his own room, he called out, "Night, Bones."

Turning to look at him, she smiled, "Goodnight, Booth."

Standing on the other side of her door, Brennan closed her eyes, shook her head, and mumbled to herself, _'Get hold of yourself, Brennan. He is not interested in you sexually. He is your friend and that's it.'_ Pushing off the door, she crawled into the bed and made herself comfortable thinking, _'you should be grateful he is your friend'_ and with that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, Booth took Brennan to the shed on the side of the porch. Inside they found rubber waders and fishing rods and other equipment. Brennan smiled and immediately grabbed a pair of the waders and put them on. Booth followed suit and then grabbed the rods and equipment and they headed out to the lake. Wading into the water up to their mid-thighs, Booth stopped and made sure that Bren was watching. Take your rod like this and hold on to the line like so. He grabbed his own line and then pulled back his rod and whipped it forward.

"Now you do it", he smiled.

"Okay. That doesn't look to be so hard." She stepped out and flipped back her rod and flung it forward, but she had forgotten to grab her line and it immediately became tangled up.

Chuckling, Booth walked over to the bank and put his rod down and then assisted her in untangling her line. "Hang on, Bones", he said. Moving to stand behind her, he placed his feet on the outside of each of hers and wrapped his arms around her arms. "Hold your rod here and grab your line here. Keep this hand steady and pull this one back."

Brennan closed her eyes and smiled inwardly. Reveling in the feel of his taut body wrapped around her own, a warm feeling filled her entire being.

Booth couldn't help but inhale the sweet aroma of her hair. It smelled of peaches and vanilla. He thought how she fit so perfectly into his arms. In his musings, he hadn't realized that he was still holding her. Returning his focus to the rod, he took hold of her arm, pulled the rod back with her and then flipped her arm forward tossing out the line.

"I think I have it, Booth", she said quietly.

"Right." He slowly let go of her arm and stepped away clearing his throat.

She immediately missed his touch as he let go and walked over to retrieve his own rod. He cast out and then modeled how to reel in the line. When he was sure she had the movements down, he headed down stream so they didn't get their lines caught up. They had been fishing about twenty minutes when Booth felt a tug on his line and pulled in a fairly large trout.

"Hey, hey! Looky here, Bones. We're on our way to having the best dinner", he laughed.

Smiling at him, she was totally caught off guard when her line tugged. She lifted her rod up in the air and tried to pull in her line. The tugging from the other end strengthened and she stepped forward to try and balance herself to be able to pull harder, but she caught her leg and lost her footing. Suddenly, she was under water and her rod went floating past Booth. Expecting her to pop right back up, Booth laughed out loud and waited to tease her when she did. After a moment, he dropped his rod and hurried over to where she fell. By the time he got there, she had surfaced, but was holding her head.

"Bones! Bones, are you all right?" He reached out for her and discovered that there was blood dripping down her forehead. "Aw, man. All right, it's okay. Come on, let's get you up to the house and take a look at that."

"I am fine, Booth", she automatically retorted, but then she stumbled when she took a step. Booth told her there would be no arguments and wrapped his arm her waist and helped her walk back to the house. He sat her on the porch and ran in to grab a towel. While he was inside, she removed the waders and waited patiently for him to return. When he did, he wiped the blood from her face and inspected the wound on her head.

"Doesn't look like you need stitches, but you may have a whopper of a headache. Are you sure you feel okay?"

"Yes, I think so. Thank you, Booth."

"Come on. Let's go inside and get you cleaned up."

"I'm sorry, Booth. It appears that I am causing you nothing but trouble."

"That's nonsense, Bones. I should have mentioned that the bottom is very rocky and you need to watch your step."

"This is not your fault, Booth."

"Okay, Bones." He didn't want to spend the time arguing, so he ushered her in the door and got her cleaned up and gave her an ice pack and some Tylenol. "You sit here and rest. I'm going to go try to collect the equipment and get it put up. That fish I caught is large enough for the two of us to eat for dinner. I'll be back in just a bit. You gonna be all right?"

Nodding slowly, she said she would be fine and sat quietly until he returned.

They spent the evening simply. Booth had some soft music on the radio and they played a card game. Booth reminisced more about the times Pops and Gram brought him and Jared up to the cabin. More than once, he had Bren laughing hard enough it made her stomach hurt.

After a while, Bren looked at her partner, protector, hero, friend, and said, "You know, as wonderful at it is up her, we can't stay here forever, Booth. You can't stay away from your job and watch me for an unlimited amount of time. We will have to return eventually."

"I know. But, let's just give the team a little longer to find this guy."

Shaking her head, she got up and said, "I'm very tired. I'm going to head to bed. Good night, Booth."

"Night, Bones."

Booth got up a minute later and moved to turn down the lights, when all of a sudden, he heard Brennan scream. Maneuvering as quickly as he could across the living room, he reached her bedroom door at the same time she flew out of it.

"What is it, Bones? What's the matter?"

"In there…. "she pointed. "In there.!"

Booth carefully took a peak into the room to see what the issue was when he finally located the source of her distress.

"It's not poisonous, Bones. It's just a basic rat snake. He won't hurt anything."

"I don't care. I'm not sleeping in there."

Walking softly across the room, he reached out and picked up the offending creature and carried it outside and across the yard and placed it in the grassy area.

A few minutes later, he returned and declared, "It's okay now, Bones. He's gone."

"What if there are more?"

Do you want me to go look?

"Yes. Please."

Shaking his head, Booth returned to the quiet room and looked around for more of the reptiles. When he discovered none, he went back to her and gave her the all-clear.

Embarrassed, but not wishing to show it, she thanked him and re-entered her room. She bid her 'hero' goodnight again and closed the door.

Smiling to himself, Booth turned and entered his own room and gently closed the door.

Hours later, Booth was snoring lightly, when the heavy wooden door to his room opened and closed. Moving as quietly as she could, Brennan tip-toed across the room, lifted the quilt, and slipped in next to her sleeping partner and closed her eyes. With a heavy breath, she was thankful he hadn't awakened. Unbeknownst to her, however, Booth was well aware of her movement; he smiled inwardly and joined her in dreamland.

 _Chapter 10_

The sun shone through a crack under the drawn blind putting just enough light into the room without being blinding. Becoming aware of the morning, Booth opened his eyes and barely turned his head before his face was filled with a head full of auburn hair. Turning in the night, Brennan had her head resting on Booth's chest nestled under his chin with her body gently touching his. He took a moment to close his eyes again and appreciate how well her form fit with his own. Breathing in deeply, he became intoxicated with the scent that was Brennan. He thought to himself, _'I could so get used to this'_. But then he opened his eyes and chastised himself. Friends… partners. That's what they were. But, he also concluded that he would lie still and enjoy it while he could. He had no intention of moving until she stirred.

About ten minutes later, Brennan moved. Stretching her head back, she opened her eyes to see a pair of warm brown ones looking back.

"Good morning, Bones."

"Good morning. You are probably wondering why I have come into your room," she began while pushing herself up and scooting over on the bed. "I hope you don't mind. You see, I couldn't sleep, I found that I irrationally kept thinking there were more snakes in the room….and well, I felt safer in here with you. I'm sorry…"

"Hey, Bones. It's fine. I don't mind. If you want, later I will take a look and make sure there aren't any more around and that there isn't some hole that they can get through to come in. Okay?"

"That would be satisfactory. I hope I didn't keep you from sleeping."

"Nope", he said. "It was fine." However, he was thinking it was the best night's sleep he'd gotten in a long time. He loved the fact that she was there and in an odd way, it made him feel safer as well.

 _Chapter 11_

Following a quick breakfast, the pair dressed for a morning of hiking. When they stopped briefly to take a break, Brennan took the time to breathe in all of the fresh air. Closing her eyes, and breathing deeply, she noted how relaxed she felt. She was hard pressed to recall a time in her recent life when she felt so relaxed and stress-free. When she opened her eyes, Booth was across the path drinking from a sport bottle. She knew that he was the reason for her relaxed state. Her mind drifted to thoughts of appreciation for his friendship and care. She had never had a relationship like this, full of trust and respect, since her family left her so long ago. Even when she was with Sully, she never had this depth of feeling. At times, it thrilled her and at others, she was terrified of it. She just really wasn't sure ….

Her thoughts were suddenly invaded by a hand waving in front of her. "Bones… Bones? Penny for your thoughts" she heard.

"What?"

"Hey, where did you go? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing really, she lied. I was just …. enjoying the fresh air and all of the beauty."

"It sure is that, isn't it? Come on. Let's get moving. We can head into town and grab a few supplies and I'll buy a track phone to call Pops to check in and then throw it away."

For the trip into town, Brennan donned the blonde wig. She grabbed the items that they needed while Booth paid cash for a phone and called Hank. They met back in the car after Booth took the battery from the phone and threw the parts away.

"What did your grandfather have to say?", Brennan inquired.

"Nothing really. He hasn't heard anything from Ang or the FBI. (He chose not to tell her that Hank suggested that he tell her how he feels about her. 'You need to be honest with that girl, Shrimp' he had said.)

"I found you some beef jerky!", she shared smiling.

"Really? Thanks!", he grinned back at her.

The drive back was fairly quiet.

After dinner, they sat in front of the fire playing another card game that Brennan remembered playing with her family when she was young. Booth had turned on the radio and found a station that played music from the 1940's and '50's.

"Pops and Gram loved to listen to the '40's music. Gram said that the 'Big Band' sound was the best!", he beamed. "She loved the brass instruments and the jazzy sounds." As he reminisced, he said, "Pops was in a barbershop quartet when they met and he sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to her. It was her favorite song."

When "In the Mood" began to play, Booth jumped up and said, "Come on. Dance with me!"

Laughing, Brennan argued, "I don't know how to dance, Booth."

Lightly taking her by the arm, he pulled her up and said, "I'll teach you an easy one. Gram loved the jitterbug. Come on, move your right foot like this and then your left…."

In a few minutes, he had her moving and laughing as they jitterbugged around the room.

By the time the song ended, they were both laughing and smiling. The next song that played was "Embraceable You" by Judy Garland. Booth took her in his arms and they slow-danced. She placed her head on his broad shoulder and closed her eyes loving the feeling of being 'embraced' by this wonderful man.

When the song stopped, Booth still had her in his embrace. She looked up and saw the warmest brown eyes looking back at her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his and had no idea what played next on the radio, as all she heard was the beating of her own heart pounding in her ears. It felt as if she and he were the only things that existed in the whole world.

A moment later, Booth leaned in and their lips met in a tentative kiss. She didn't move away; instead, she leaned in closer and the kiss intensified. He noted how soft her lips were and she noted how gentle his touch was. Pulling her body in closer to him, he licked her bottom lip asking for access to her mouth. Tongues danced together as they explored each other. She reached both of her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. She was ever so grateful for his strong arms locked around her because she was fairly certain that if he were not holding her so, her knees would buckle and she would hit the floor.

The need for air separated them, but only for a moment and the kissing continued. With a second gasp for air, Brennan pressed her forehead against his and said, "Wow!"

"I have so wanted to do that for the longest time….", he whispered.

She just shook her head and kissed him again. "Now what?" she asked quietly.

"I hadn't planned that, so…. what do you want next? Where do you want this to go?"

Kissing him again, she began to pull him backwards toward the bedroom.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he stopped and ended the kiss. He kissed her on the forehead and looked into her eyes. He took a deep breath and blew it out. Then he began, "Bones…. You have to be sure. If this happens, I won't be able to go back to the way things are now. I wouldn't want to. Make no mistake, I **want** you, but not as a one night stand. Do you understand? I love you. I've known that for a while now. I want more. I want 30 or 40 or 50 years. I will want you forever and never let go.

Shaking her head, she said "Forever doesn't exist."

"Bones…."

"I can't change the way I think, Booth."

"I **most definitely** do not want you to change the way you think, Temperance Brennan", he smiled.

Then she asked, "What about the FBI rules? They wouldn't let us work together anymore. Will they…. "

Putting his finger on her lips, he said, "They already thought we were in a relationship. I assured them that we weren't, but Cullen told me a long time ago, as long as we keep it professional on the job, we're clear. They love our solve rate. We are a great team and they don't want to mess with that. So…. it's really about what you want, Bones."

As she peered into the soft brown eyes looking back at her, she knew there was only one thing to do, so taking hold of his hand, she led him towards the bedroom and shut the door.

 _Chapter 12_

The next morning, Booth awakened first. Brennan was lying with her head on his chest and her arm draped across his waist. Her legs were intertwined with his own and she felt warm and perfect in his arms. He loved the feel of her hair as is lay on his bare chest and tickled his chin. He took the time to just watch her sleep. She was so beautiful.

When Brennan stirred, he moved her hair behind her ear and rubbed his finger-tips against her cheek. Ice blue eyes looked up him and she mumbled a good morning to him.

"Good morning, beautiful." She simply smiled. He leaned his head down and gently kissed her. "Sleep well?"

"Mmmmmm" she nodded. "You?"

"That has to be the best night's sleep I think I've ever gotten."

"Ever?" she questioned.

"Oh, yeah!" and he leaned in to kiss her again. "I can't tell you how happy I am that I get to do that", he grinned at her. "I love you."

A moment later, she moved to straddle him and they spent the morning exploring each other even more.

The next several days went about the same. Days of fishing and hiking and nights of firelight and quiet whispers.

One morning after breakfast, they decided to go for a run through the trails. When they returned, they sat on the porch swing and had a cold drink. While they were resting, they heard the sound of a car coming down the driveway. Rounding the corner, they saw a sheriff's car come into view.

The officer stopped the car and stepped out of the vehicle. "

"Afternoon, folks", he began.

Booth stood up. "Stay here, Bones", he whispered. "What can I do for you, officer?" he asked as he headed off the porch.

"Are you Agent Booth?" the officer inquired.

"Who's asking?"

"I am Deputy Brooks. Sheriff Jeffers from town sent me here to give you folks a message."

"What's that, deputy?"

"A man named Hank called the office this morning with a message from Angela that said, 'Tell Booth we got him'. I was told that you would understand the message."

"Was there anything else in the message?"

"Yes, sir. Hank said to add the phrase 'grilled cheese'."

Laughing, Booth shook the deputy's hand, thanked him, and said he understood it. The man returned to his squad car and left in the same manner that he arrived.

"I guess that's it, then", Brennan said when he approached her and sat back down on the swing.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I guess we should go pack up and start heading home."

Turning and taking her hands into his, Booth started, "Listen, Bones… we may be heading home, but about us… we …."

She looked at him and said his name aloud. He stopped talking and was ready to listen to her, but she just leaned in and kissed him. "I don't want this to end."

"What do you say we keep this just between us for now, huh? Well, you, me, and Angela", he smiled.

"What's ours is ours?"

"Something like that, yeah. For now. But, I get that Angela's your friend and you may want to share this with her."

Nodding, she smiled and said, "I will try to keep it between us for now. Although, Angela is very good and deciphering my thoughts sometimes and I cannot lie to her."

"I get that. It's okay if you do. I love you and I want you to do what you need to do."

"Thank you, Booth. For that and for bringing me up her to keep me safe."

"Always, Bones. Always" and then he leaned in to kiss her again before they got up to start packing.

As he opened the door to head inside, Booth suggested, "Hey, what do you say we stop by Pop's on the back to D.C and get some grilled cheese?"

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea", she replied as the door closed behind them.


End file.
